After a winter of many porters, stouts and American IPAs, I was recently in the mood for a fine Belgian ale.

Kasteel Donker caught my eye with its 11-percent ABV proclamation, putting it into the quadrupel category. Its name translates as Castle Dark.

Donker's color is brown with red highlights, and it poured with a nice thick head, although it dissipated fairly quickly. The aroma was of dark fruits, fresh bread and sweet caramel.

The flavor was complex, with cherry, raisins, chocolate and caramel prominent. There also is a strong brown sugar character, though not as burnt-tasting. Donker is a fairly sweet beer, but not overbearing. The strong alcohol content was not noticeable at first but appeared a bit in the finish as the beer warmed in the glass.

While not thin at all, Donker was not as heavy or syrupy as many quadrupels. Its use of some darker malts gave it a color and slight roasted profile that also made it stand out from the pack.

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